Vertical excavator



s sheets-sheet 1.

Paterltecl- Jan. 5, 1897.

e md5 J. M. CARROLL.

VERTICAL EXCAVATOR.

(No Model.)

l W'neffef.

/fmf (No Mddel.) a sheets-sheen 2. J. M. CARROLL. VERTICAL EXGAVATOR.

Patented Jan. 5, 11897.

Zrz'n effet 6 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

"J. M. CARROLL. VBRTIGAL EXGAVATOR.

No. 574,660.v Patented Jan. 5, 1897.

vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. CARROLL, OF GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA.

VERTICAL EXCAVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,660, dated January 5, 1897.

Application filed April 21, 1896.

Serial No. 588,439. (No model.)

To all whom it mfy concern,.-

Be it known that L'JOHN M. CARROLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Forks, in the county of Grand Forks and State of North Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vertical Excavators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to excavators, and has for its obj ect to provide an im proved machine of this class.

The machine herein disclosed is provided with vertically-acting augers, and was especially designed for use in connection with that certain other excavating-machine described in my companion case liled of even date herewith, which is provided with a horizontallyacting auger. For purposes of distinction my present case is marked A,7 and may be called the vertical excavator, and my companion case is marked B, and may be called the horizontal excavator.

The vertical excavatorherein disclosed was especially designed for making the vertical openings necessary for starting and operating the horizontal auger of my companion machine and for theintroduction of the pipes which it is desired to lay in the horizontal trench. The present machine is, however, capable of general use for making trenches and many other kinds of excavations.

My invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices which will be hereinafter described, and defined in the claims. p

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein, like letters referring to like parts throughout the several views- Figure l is a side elevation of the machine with some parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine with some parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, the section being on the line m4 m4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail, partly in longitudinal vertical section, lengthwise of the truck, showing the relation of one of the auger-stems to its feeding, guiding, and control# ling devices with said parts as they would appear when the auger is free for its downward feed in the boring action. Fig. 6 is a detail of some of the parts shown in Fig. 5 with the same as they would appear when the auger is held by the friction-clamp or controlported from the axles d in the ordinary or,

any suitable way. The truck-body is represented as braced `from the bunkers or the axles by suitable brace-rods cr".

From the side bars of the platform a3 rise four posts b, set on slightly-convergent lines in respect to each other longitudinally of the truck and united at their upper ends by a rectangular open frame or skeleton cap b'. rlhe side pairs of the said posts Zi are united below the cap b by side pieces h2, and the said side pieces h2 are connected crosswise of the truck by transoms or cross-bars b3. The posts b are also connected crosswise of the truck by tie-bars o1' transoms b4. The front and rear members of the cap h are connected longitudinally of the truck by a pair of central tie-bars b5, which are' spaced a short distance apart from cach other on opposite .sides of the center of the truck. The said posts b unite with the side rails CL3 by means of stepped joints h6 and angle-iron joint-plates 57, bolted to the said posts and said rails, as best shown in Fig. l. The said parts (marked with the letters b to 127, inclusive) constitute an upright skeleton frame of substantially pyramidal form, supported from the truck platform or body as its base, and which is adapted, in turn, to support the angers and the means for operating and controlling the same.

c represent the auger-blades, and c c2 the sectional stems of the same. The said stemsections c' c2 are provided with joint-flanges c3 ontheir meeting ends, which are bolted together as a means of separably connecting TOO the auger-bodies with the upper sections c2 of the stems. The said angers are vertically disposed side by side lengthwise of the truck in the median line of the same. The upper sections c2 of the auger-stems work through vertical bearings c, fixed to the transoms or cross-ties b3 of the frame and through bearings c5 at the ends of a yoke c6, which is disposed longitudinally of the truck, with its eX- tremties resting on the hubs of sp nr-gears ci, mounted on the auger-stem c2 and resting on the bearings ci. The said gears cT are provided with feathers 08 in theirhnbs, which engage in longitudinal grooves c, formed in the stems c2, which connection rotatively connects the angers to the gears c7, while permitting to the angers freedom for vertical movement through the said gears.

The gears c7 on the anger-stems c2 engage opposite sides of a common gear-wheel C10, which is fixed to a vertical shaft C11 at the center of the truck. This shaft c11 extends upward through the yoke c and a center-plate bearing cl2, supported by the tie-bars b5, and is provided on its upper end with a collar ('13, pinned fast to the said shaft. The said shaft c1l is also provided with a collar c, ad-

`justably secured thereto and adapted to work on the upper surface of the yoke c to divide the load on the said shaft c between the said two collars c13 and c14 and their respective bearings c and cl2. The said shaft c carries, at its lower end, a beveled gear cli", which engages with a beveled pinion or small gear 016, loosely mounted on the main driving shaft C17. rlhe said shaft c is mounted in suitable bearings cls, fixed to the side bars b2, and is provided with a loose pulley cm and a fast pulley c2". The power is applied to the fixed or fast pulley G20 through a belt 021 from an engine or other available source of power. The loose pinion c1 and the loose pulley ci are provided with half clutch-faces on their facing hubs, with either of which may be made to engage a two-faced clutch-sleeve 022, mounted on the said shaft c and connected thereto in the usual way by means of an ordinary groove and feather The clutch-sleeve C23 is subject to the action of an ordinary shipper-lever ci, pivoted to a rod c25, which is secured to the transoms The inward movement of the beveled pinions c1 is limited by a stop-collar C2G on the shaft cli.

If the half-clutch '22 be thrown into engagement with the beveled pinion c1", as shown in Fig. 4, then the shaft c will receive rotary motion from the driving-shaft, and the gearing C10 cT will turn the angers in common directions, as shown by the arrows on Fig. 3 of the drawings. lf the clutch-sleeve c?2 be thrown to its central position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, then the beveled pinion el and the pulley c19 will both remain idle; but if the sleeve 022 be thrown to the extreme right into` engagement with the pulley c-lthen the angers will not be rotated, but the pulley c1 will receive rotary motion from the drivingshaft C17.

The pulley cw connects through belt C27 with pulley C28 on a counter-shaft c2, mounted in suitable bearings e30, fixed directly to the forward members of the frame-posti). The said counter-shaft C29 is provided at its right end with a pinion C31, which engages with a gear C32 on a shaft cls, which is mounted in suitable bearings ci, also fixed to the posts Z9.

On the shaft 033 is loosely mounted a windlass-drum C35, which has a half-clutch on its left-hand head. On the said shaft 033 is also mounted in the usual way, by feather and groove, a sliding half-clutch 03"', which is normally held in engagement with the half-clutch on the drum-head by a spring 037, reacting between the same and a collar CSB on the said shaft ci. The said half-clutch c3G is subject to the action of a pivoted shipper-lever c'lf, pivoted to a bracket C40, projecting from one of the posts b. The said shipper-lever c3" has attached thereto a pull-rope or iiexible connection c, running over a guide-sheave 042 and extending downward to a point within reach of an operator standing on a foot-board C43. The foot-board C13 is connected with the truck-platform by hinges c in such a way that when down the same may rest on the truck-wheels a and when up may be engaged by a retaining-button c45.

The windlass-drum 035 is provided with cables ci, which extend over suitable guidesheaves c4T and multiplying-sheaves c to blocks and tackles c4, the hooks of which are adapted to engage with suitable eyes 050, provided in the upper ends of the auger-blade for raising the angers by a direct lift whenever so desired without any reverse rotary motion thereof;

The angers will be automatically clamped and held in whatever position they may be raised by the hub of a lever 051, which is pivoted to a lu g C52 of a bearing-bracket cformed integral with the removable half of the yokebearing c5. The anger-stem sections cL work through the eyes or hubs of the clampinglevers c loosely whenever the axes of the hubs of said levers c51 are in line or coincident with the axes of the auger-stems, or, otherwise stated, whenever the said levers C51 are horizontal; but the said levers C51 are subject to the action of springs 054, reacting between j the same and the bearing-bracket 053, which springs tend to throw the said levers cD1 out of the horizontal position shown in Fig. 5

into a position which will bring the eyes or hubs of said levers at an angle to the augerstems, as shown in Fig. G. Whenever the said levers ci1 are thus thrown into an angular position in respect to the auger'stems, the said stems will engage with the said eyes or hubs with a cramping action, increasing with the weight on the angers, and which is effective to clamp the angers to the said levers C51 until the said levers are released and thrown back tothe horizontal position. For the pur- IOO IIO

pose of effecting this release the said levers C51 are shown as providedwith a pull-rope (-55, which extends downward to a point within reach of the operator on the foot-board C43. The outer end of the bearing-bracket 053 is turned up, so as to serve as a stop to limit the downward movement of the said levers 051. In practice means would be provided for tying down the pull-rope c55 or for otherwise locking the said levers G51 in their horizontal position, as required to avoid interference with the feed movement of the angers when at work in the boring action.

All the parts of the excavator have now been specified, and the action of the same is probably clear from the description given in connection with the specification of the parts. The general action may, however, be brieiiy summarized as follows:

In Figs. l and 2 of the drawings the angers are represented as having been drawn up by the drum and held by the clamping-levers 051 at a point where just ready to enter the ground. Supposing the machine to be in proper position and the power applied from an engine or other source, the blocks and tackles 049 would be nnhooked from the angers, the clampinglevers 051 would be fastened down in their horizontal position, so as to permit the angers to drop and feed into the ground, and the clutch-sleeves 022 would be fastened in the position shown in Fig. 4, so as to render the m0- tion from the main shaft c17 available on the angers. Under the rotary motion on the augers they will bury themselves in the ground and elevate the dirt to the surface as long as the rotary motion continues. After the augers have been lowered to the desired depth the clutch 022 is shifted to its intermediate or idle position and the blocks and tackles 049 are hooked fast to the upper ends of the angerblade. The clutch-sleeve C22 is then shifted to the extreme right, so as to engage with the pulley 019 and impart winding-up motion to the drum 035. Under this action of the windlass or hoisting-drum the angers, together with their load of earth, may be raised above the,.level of the ground by a direct lift. Whenever the angers reach the desired elevation it is only necessary to release the clamping-levers C51, so as to render the same subject to the spring C54, and thereby the said levers 051 will assume the position shown in Fig. G and become effective to hold the angers in whatever position they may happen to be. The purpose of having the drum 035 loose on its supporting-shaft 033 and adapted to be connected therewith through the clutch device shown is to permit the drum to be released frorn the shaft at will for unwinding the cables, as required to engage the blocks and tackles 049 with the angers when in their lowermost position or in any other position below the point to which they had been last previously raised bythe windlass. After the hole has been made by the two angers to the desired depth in the way above described the machine will be moved forward one step or more, according to whether the machine is being used to make an open trench or openings spaced apart from each other, as the case may be.

Tith the machine above described excavation can be rapidly effected.

It will be understood, of course, that minor details of the construction disclosed might be changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It should have been noted that the belt 027 is subject to an ordinary belt-tightener c5, supported by the right side bar b2 of the main frame.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Lette rs Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. In an excavator, the combination with a portable frame, of the pair of upright angers mounted for vertical movement thereon, a pair of spur-gears rotatively connected to but free for sliding motion on the auger-stems,and a spur-gear between said angur-gears and engaging with both, substantially as described.

2. In an excavator, the combination with a portable frame, of the pair of upright angers mounted for vertical movement thereon, the pair of gears rotatively connected to the auger-stems but free for sliding motion of the same,the cen tral gear having its opposite sides engaged by said auger-gears,the vertical shaft supporting said central gear, and means for driving said shaft, substantially as described.

3. In an excavator, the combination with a portable support, of a pair of upright angers mounted for vertical movement on said support, gears on the auger-stems, rotatively connected thereto but free for sliding motion thereon, fixed bearings forming guides for said auger-stems and seats for said augergears, and a yoke-bar having end bearings embracing the auger-stems and resting on the hubs of the auger-gears and forming part of the support for the drive which operates said angers, substantially as described. 4. The combination with the portable support, of the upright angers mounted for ver-- tical movement on said frame, the fixed bearings 04 for the stems of said angers, the gears c7 rotatively connected to but sliding on said auger-stems with their hubs resting on said bearings c4, the bearing-yoke c6 with end bearings c5 working on said auger-stems and resting on the hubs of said gears c7, the central vertical shaft c supported from the cap of the main frame and from said yoke c6, the central gear 010 on ysaid shaft engaging said auger-gears c7 and the drive 015 c1G c17 and C22, substantially as described.

5. In an excavator, the combination with the main frame or support of one or more npright angers mounted for vertical movement thereon, gears on the anger-stems rotatively connected thereto but free to permit sliding motion of the auger-stems therethrough, and pivoted clamping-levers with eyes or hubs through which the auger-stems work, for au- IOO IIO

gors, of the driving connections foriinparting rotary motion to said angers and windlass including as one element thereof a clutch for ro making the same rotate ihe angers or the i windlass at will, and a Clutch controlling the Connection of the Windlass-drnm with its snpporting and driving` shaft, for unwinding the drum at will, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature I5 in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN M. CARROLL. Witnesses:

PHILIP MCLOUGHLIN., e HUGH I). RYAN. 

